NEW YORK -- Five years ago, all of this seemed impossible. Formula One broadcasts were just returning to ESPN airwaves, Netflix's "Drive to Survive" series was still a year away from premiering, and the sport's popularity in the U.S. showed few signs of emerging from a decades-long slumber.
There was a four-year period when the only stop the series made in North America was Montreal. The introduction of the Circuit of the Americas in Austin in 2012 promised much, but attendances quickly declined following the early excitement.
Now, as the aftershocks subside following the news that Ford has entered into a strategic partnership with Red Bull to to develop power units ahead of the 2026 season, enthusiasm for F1 in America may as well be fueled by the energy drink funding the team.